« BACK TO FORUM
 Author |
 Post
|
 |
|
Terri Willard
Joined: Jul 27, 2001
Posts: 370 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Female & 40
Country: Canada
Province/State: Manitoba
City: Winnipeg
|
Keeping One's Own Tradition
April 19, 2004 - 04:28 AM
|
|
I was impressed today to see the following quotation from the Dalai Lama's current visit to Canada, from http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/04/18/canada/dalai_lama040418:
" The Dalai Lama, 68, acknowledged the crowd of 13,000 who came to hear his address, called "Good Heart, Full Life" with a wave and smile. Before talking about the benefits of selflessness, he noted that some people in the room were not Buddhist. Everyone can benefit from being more compassionate, he said, adding that it's important to be tolerant of other faiths. In fact, "it is better and safer to keep one's own tradition," he said. "
It's something I've always been a big fan of. I've always had a bit of frustration when I encounter some (not all) people from the US and Europe who have leaped into other religious traditions and abandoned the one they grew up with at home. My frustration stems from many sources, including:
* An often superficial understanding of the religion, which does not do it justice;
* A sometimes naive interpretation of other traditions, attributing to them all of the positive things they believe are missing in Christianity, and conversely a tendency to ignore any negatives which may be unique by their new faith or be shared by their original one (e.g. treatment of women);
* A frequent ignorance of their original religious tradition... many people are willing to dedicate huge chunks of time to reading about something "new" and "exotic" but have no clue or appreciation for the richness and diversity within their original tradition;
* A often fanatical adherence to ritual;
* And last, but far from least, the siphoning off of progressive folks who might otherwise be active in the reform of their original religious tradition.
I'd love to know if these are some of the same kinds of concerns which lie behind the Dalai Lama's statement....
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Cicero
Joined: Feb 1, 2004
Posts: 1020 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
Country: United Kingdom
Province/State: London, City of
City: London
|
Re: Keeping One's Own Tradition
April 19, 2004 - 04:51 AM
|
|
When Dalai lama was visiting Slovenia, and had a short talk to the public - many people showed up the hear his words. I was also present and had priviledge to speak few words with him. I must say i hold it as high value.
I do admire buddhist and their approach to the life, as it is. I especially charish their non-violent approach, which i also use to the utmost if i am able to.
Ave Futuria
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
JJ
Joined: Jan 23, 2004
Posts: 18 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Talkative
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Male, 31
Country: Japan
|
Re: Keeping One's Own Tradition
April 23, 2004 - 08:32 AM
|
|
Yea, "spiritual materialism" and "spiritual tourism" have been quite popular trends for the past 20-25 odd years.. An interesting article regarding this topic was published awhile back, in the Guardian newspaper:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1102184,00.html
Taikod, this article deals exacly with what you stated. It expounds upon the link between consumption/consumerism and spiritual materialism...i.e., the making of spiritual healing services/practices and religions merely another commodity in developed societies...thus degrading and serving no justice to these spiritual practices and religion...it is quite a delusional (and can be dangerous) phenomenon in developed socities...clearly a product of the highly developed consumer society. This topic has been of great interest for me (if, by looking at my other posts, no one has noticed yet!  ) This brings upon a question I have to ask for anyone reading ...Looking at this from another angle, can this negative act of "spritual materialism" be a sign of a completely different type of "spiritual progress" in highly developed consumer societies? Is this whole notion/need of "spiritual progress" developed by consumer society good or bad? ...I think its both  Should I make a new thread with this as its topic? hmmm...
Theres also a great book, written by the Tibetan Buddhist monk/scholar Chogyam Trungpa, titled "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism", which deals exactly with this topic. Its stressed in Buddhism (according to what Ive read) to find one vehicle and stick to it; form provides an outline for one to express oneself completely. Without sticking to one way/form, it is difficult to make proper progress...so Ive read...
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
|
Display posts from:
|
|
Home
Community
